Introduction

Why choose AQA for
AS and A-level Sociology

Relevant content designed by experts

These
qualifications offers an engaging and effective introduction to Sociology.
Students will learn the fundamentals of the subject and develop skills valued by higher
education (HE) and employers, including critical analysis, independent thinking and research.

Retaining the most popular features of our previous, market-leading qualification,
we have worked with teachers, HE and the British Sociological Association to produce clear,
up-to-date and stimulating
specifications.
We have built on the success of our previous specification by introducing some minor
amendments that reflect advances and changes in the subject and provide a coherent and
holistic programme of study.

Content continuity

Our focus for this new qualifications has been to provide continuity for teachers.
We have included:

a range of attractive topic options, allowing teachers to teach to their
strengths and ensuring that students experience an interesting, diverse and coherent course
of study

approaches and methods related to the core areas of Sociology, to enable
students to engage in theoretical debate and to encourage an active involvement with the
research process

many familiar and popular topics from our previous specification.

Trusted assessment

Our assessments continue to employ a variety of familiar question types,
including short answer and extended writing/essays, which target:

knowledge and understanding

application

analysis and evaluation.

Students’ understanding of research methods, gained through classroom experience
of practical Sociology, will be assessed using the familiar 'methods in context' format.

Co-teachability of AS and A-level

We have designed the AS and A-level specifications to cover core areas of
Sociology and to be fully co-teachable within the first year of study. We know this will help
teachers with resourcing and timetabling and will also allow students to switch between AS and
A-level during the first year if they wish.

Progression

Our
specifications
will appeal to a cross-section of students, regardless of whether they have studied the
subject before. They
build on skills developed in the sciences and humanities, and
enable
progression into a wide range of other subjects.

Support and resources to help you teach

We know that support and resources are vital for your teaching and that you
have limited time to find or develop good quality materials. So we’ve worked with experienced
teachers to provide you with a range of resources that will help you confidently plan, teach
and prepare for exams.

Teaching resources

We have too many Sociology resources to list here so visit aqa.org.uk/sociology to see them all. They include:

flexible sample schemes of work to help you plan for course delivery in
your own way

individual lesson plans on specific topic areas to assist you in
providing continuity and progression in teaching

student textbooks and e-learning materials that have been scrutinised
by AQA

training courses to help you deliver AQA Sociology qualifications

subject expertise courses for all teachers, from newly qualified
teachers who are just getting started to experienced teachers looking for fresh
inspiration.

Preparing for exams

Visit aqa.org.uk/7192 for everything you need to prepare for our exams, including:

past papers, mark schemes and examiners’ reports

specimen papers and mark schemes for new courses

exemplar student answers with examiner commentaries.

Analyse your students' results with Enhanced Results Analysis (ERA)

Find out which questions were the most challenging, how the results compare
to previous years and where your students need to improve. ERA, our free online results
analysis tool, will help you see where to focus your teaching. Register at aqa.org.uk/era

For information about results, including maintaining standards over time,
grade boundaries and our post-results services, visit aqa.org.uk/results

Keep your skills up to date with professional development

Wherever you are in your career, there’s always something new to learn. As
well as subject-specific training, we offer a range of courses to help boost your skills: